- Six previous and future winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans competed at the French Grand Prix in 1967 (in their order on the starting grid): Brit Graham Hill, American Dan Gurney, New Zealanders Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, Austrian Jochen Rindt and Mexican Pedro Rodriguez.

- Two among them qualified on the first row: Graham Hill (pole position) and Dan Gurney (third).

- The beginning of the summer of 1967 was a particularly successful period for Dan Gurney. On June 11th, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Ford Mk IV along with A.J. Foyt, establishing the first 5,000 km+ distance record. One week later, he won the Belgian Grand Prix with an Eagle, becoming the first American to win in Formula 1 at the wheel of his own car. On July 2nd, he took the start at the French Grand Prix from the first row (but was forced to retire in the wake of a fuel problem).

- Among these six previous and future winners, four reached the top step on the podium at the three editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans preceding the 1967 French Grand Prix: Jochen Rindt (1965), Dan Gurney (1967), as well as Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon, winners in 1966 for Ford's first victory at Le Mans.

- Pedro Rodriguez is the only one of the six to have finished the Grand Prix, in sixth place at the wheel of a Cooper-Maserati.

- Pedro Rodriguez and Graham Hill won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1968 and 1972, respectively. Rodriguez at the wheel of a Ford GT40 along with Lucien Bianchi, the second at the wheel of a Matra with Henri Pescarolo.

In addition to these six winners, other drivers at the start of the 1967 French Grand Prix also made a mark on the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their own way, to be continued in the next installment in this series.

 

PHOTO (Copyright - Archives/ACO): In 1966, the #2 Ford Mk II driven by Dennis Hulme, winner of the French Grand Prix the following year, qualified in second position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He is pictured here at the start of the race.